14 NOVEMBER 2017 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: CUSTOMER SERVICE O perating a ferry line requires more than faith that the demand for its service will be a natural occurring phenomenon. Faith helps. But it’s not enough. Absent a demand for the destinations a ferry line serves, its operations will look more like a hobby than a business. Urban and suburban ferry ports have well-trod paths back and forth. Among large popu- lations, a ferry line can plan a generally predictable flow of people and traffic. In a rural region, on the other hand, ferry service is subject to the whims of seasonal demand and regional economies. A winter storm or rainy springtime can significantly reduce passengers for a scheduled service that must operate anyway…rain or shine. In ferry line operations, just because you “build it,” doesn’t necessarily mean “they” will come. Or, at least come in numbers that support a robust enterprise. The shore of Lake Superior shapes the Northern border of Wisconsin. On a peninsula, 60 miles east of Duluth/Superior, is Bayfield, WI. This small town has invented and reinvented itself many times over the past couple of centuries. Fishing and logging have given way to a tourism economy. Built on a hill that slopes down to docks and marinas, Bayfield shows it history in its architecture. Restored Victorian and early 20th century homes surrounded by large poplars and white pine define the landscape. Small stores, B&Bs, and restaurants cater to a broad range of increas- ingly affluent visitors. Bayfield is, in a word, charming. Across a narrow, two-mile channel from the docks of Bayfield lies Madeline Island. This is an ancient island. It served as a French and British fur trading post that was once the spiritual home of the Lake Superior Chippewa. Today, the island is the permanent home to about 320 residents. Just 14 miles long and three miles wide, Madeline is the only populated island among the 22 Apostle Islands. In July and August, the population swells to about 2,200. Summer cottages and visitors are the foundation of a critically important economy with a narrow annual window. Madeline Island is an eclectic Uniting Two Destinations as One Benefits Both By Michael Collins Madeline Island and Bayfield,WI work together to bring tourists to both destinations.All photos provided by Madeline Island Ferry Line. We believe it’s our business, the business of the Madeline Island Ferry Line (MIFL), to connect two different communities, two different worlds.